Consequences of the BP Oil Spill

November 24, 2010|51,961views

The BP oil disaster might end up shifting the entire global energy paradigm -- IF the public is aware of the situation and its consequences. Here are some of the long term effects of the disaster.

Effortless Healing – One Step at a Time – NOW AVAILABLE!

My newest book, Effortless Healing is now available! I've organized this book into a guide that will help you avoid the many pitfalls of the conventional approach to health. Rather than relying on expensive and potentially dangerous drugs, I will help you effortlessly make small shifts in what you eat and how you live to achieve your health goals. I promise, Effortless Healing isn't a book that will overwhelm you. On top of that, ordering the book today entitles you to 3 exclusive bonuses:

BONUS #1:

A sneak peek of my new book! You won’t need to wait for the book to arrive to get started. Begin reading my new book right away with your free sneak preview!

BONUS #2:

My most popular video interviews, all in one place. I’ve compiled 18 of my BEST expert interviews for you to watch and listen to at your leisure, and in the comfort of your own home or office.

BONUS #3:

Receive 15% off your next Mercola.com order. Depending on your order, your savings from this one bonus alone could more than cover the cost of your book!

All My Profits from This Book Will Be Donated

That's right. When you order a copy of my new book Effortless Healing, you'll be making a much-deserved donation to the key organizations that work quietly and efficiently behind the scenes to make the world a healthier place for you, your family, and your community.

Among them, you'll be benefiting and supporting the actions of:

National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) – A non-profit organization that seeks to prevent vaccine injuries and deaths through public education and defending your right of informed choice.

Organic Consumers Association (OCA) – A grassroots public interest organization campaigning for health, justice, and sustainability, and addressing food safety, GMOs, the industrial agricultural complex, children's health, and more. The ONLY U.S. organization focused exclusively on the interests that you and I share!

Consumers for Dental Choice – Children, the unborn, and employees in the dental field are particularly vulnerable to mercury. But so is everyone with a mouthful of amalgam fillings (which are 50% mercury) at risk. Consumers for Dental Choice is working to phase out amalgam use and to promote access to mercury-free alternatives.

Fluoride Action Network (FAN) – An international coalition aimed at ending water fluoridation and alerting you to fluoride's environmental and health risks. FAN keeps you informed about fluoride toxicity, and monitors government actions that may expose you to fluoride.

Are you ready to get started? The timing has never been better. Order your copy of Effortless Healing today, collect your free gifts, and let your journey begin!

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

It's been just over seven months since the Deepwater Horizon exploded, leading to the worst oil spill disaster in history. For nearly three months, hundreds of millions of gallons of oil gushed into the Gulf of Mexico as BP scrambled to cover up and hide the environmental devastation from media.

At this they succeeded wildly, as news of the oil spill has all but disappeared from the public radar. It seems many have already forgotten the spill -- the spill that is, by far, the worst oil spill, and possibly environmental disaster, in human history.

The Exxon Valdez disaster spilled "only" 12 million gallons of oil -- and that ended up taking a much more complex environmental toll than toxicologists initially predicted.

It's essential, for the sake of the environment, the health of the people and workers in the Gulf -- and to prevent this tragedy from reoccurring in the very near future -- that this disaster does not get swept under the rug as BP has hoped …

How Did BP Get Rid of the Massive Amounts of Oil?

A large part of why the public has "forgotten" the BP oil spill already is because we never really saw the true destruction.

There were a few photos of oil-slicked beaches and birds, but by early August the New York Times reported that the oil patches were "largely gone," and "Radar images suggest that the few remaining patches are quickly breaking down in the warm surface waters of the gulf." They went on to report, "The slick appeared to be dissolving far more rapidly than anyone expected."

So the largest oil spill in history was largely cleaned up in just a few months, according to the media and the government. The seafood was miraculously safe, the air clean and the environmental effects a mere blip on the radar.

Of course, this is a physical impossibility.

There's no doubt in my mind this disaster will take DECADES to clean up, if it's at all possible, and the worst-case scenario is pointing to major devastation on all levels of marine life, from coral reefs and plankton to fish and air-breathing mammals.

Toxic Dispersants Eliminated Oil While Turning the Gulf Toxic

The chemicals in dispersants Corexit 9500 and 9527 are toxic. The New York Times reported:

"Corexit 9527, used in lesser quantities during the earlier days of the spill response, is designated a chronic and acute health hazard by EPA. The 9527 formula contains 2-butoxyethanol, pinpointed as the cause of lingering health problems experienced by cleanup workers after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, and propylene glycol, a commonly used solvent."

According to Carys Mitchelmore, a researcher at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, the detergent-like brew of solvents, surfactants and other compounds are known to cause a variety of health problems in animals, including:

Death

Reduced growth

Reproductive problems

Cardiac dysfunction

Immune suppression

Altered behavior

Carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic effects

The chemical dispersants, by the way, are not a silver bullet to miraculously make oil disappear. Oil spill dispersants only alter the chemical and physical properties of the oil, making it more likely to mix with seawater than deposit on the shoreline.

So what the dispersants do is re-direct the oil, making its impact perhaps less so on birds and shore-dwelling animals, but more so on fish, coral reefs, oysters and other marine life that live in the deeper waters.

It essentially "hides" the oil out of view, below the surface where news cameras can't see it.

"Dispersing the oil into the water column accelerates the poisoning of all marine life, deep throughout the water column and seabed. Ultimately it results in "covering-up" the extent of the disaster on the surface, while amplifying the damage within our oceans.

Also, when the dispersants mix with the crude oil, a third far more toxic product is produced called "dispersed oil." Dispersed oil has been shown to be more toxic than the sum of its parts.

Dispersing simply keeps the oil deeper in the water column so that it will not surface, into the light of public scrutiny."

Sadly, the oil and dispersant mix is so toxic that I strongly caution you to STAY OUT of the Gulf of Mexico. In my opinion, it's simply not safe to swim there.

Remember also that children are far more prone to experiencing health problems from this type of toxic exposure than adults. So please, keep your children safe. Do not allow your children to swim or play on the Gulf coast beaches.

Make no mistake … even though you can't always see the oil, it's still there, just in an experimental, and toxic, dispersed form.

BP Wants You to Forget About the Oil Spill

The disaster in the Gulf of Mexico was far from the "unavoidable accident" BP claimed it to be, driven by a reckless pursuit of profits and recklessly selfish disregard for our planet.

In CNN interviews, "workers described a corporate culture of cutting staff and ignoring warning signs ahead of the blast. They said BP routinely cut corners and pushed ahead despite concerns about safety."

Then after the explosion, BP denied there was a leak until it became painfully obvious. When they could no longer hide that fact, they low-balled the estimate of the leak at 5,000 barrels a day, which is probably low by a factor of 20.

And instead of taking responsibility, they made the environmental disaster even worse by dumping unprecedented amounts of dispersants into the Gulf in a reckless effort to make the oil "disappear" from public view.

At the same time, BP bought up popular search terms on Google, so that when you search for "oil spill" you'll be directed to BP's damage control page that shows the company's "Gulf of Mexico Response" and cleanup efforts, instead of the massive amounts of damage that is still ongoing.

Obstructed cleanup efforts and didn't provide proper equipment to do it

Suppressed vital information

Told cleanup workers they'd be fired if they spoke to the media

Lied from day one about what really happened and its severity

Denied adequate compensation to Gulf victims

Withheld respirators and other protective gear from cleanup workers, many now ill from flu-like symptoms, including severe headaches, dizziness, nosebleeds, chest pains, and trouble breathing that may persist, become worse and, for many, be long-lasting or permanent

Ordered workers showing up with respirators and other protective gear to remove it or be fired

On June 17, BP CEO Tony Haywood stonewalled the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation by refusing to provide information he knows as chief operating officer

This is not surprising as BP is no stranger to environmental crime. Over the past two decades, BP subsidiaries have been convicted of three crimes in Alaska and Texas, including two felonies. BP also holds the dubious honor of receiving the stiffest fine in history for work safety violations.

So they are familiar with how to work the system … as much as BP would like to appear as a concerned and noble corporation, doing all they can to repair the damage and listen to the concerns of the American people, this is nothing but a front.

BP wants you to forget so they can get back to business as usual … business that could easily lead to subsequent disasters that are equal to or worse than the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

The Time is Ripe for Change!

Even though the majority of Americans are not living with the immediate effects of the oil spill -- the exposure to the toxic chemical dispersants, the loss of livelihood to fishermen, the stench of oil and physical reminders of tar balls on the beaches -- as those in the Gulf are, we mustn't forget!

You may not be able to see hundreds of millions of gallons of oil pooling on beaches, but that oil is still very much in the ocean and surrounding waterways, where it is causing untold environmental damage.

Even highly trained toxicologists can only guess what the full extent of the damage will be, and it's likely it won't show up in full for years or decades.

Only by remembering this disaster and pushing for the truth to be brought to the surface – the truth about what BP has been hiding -- can we prevent a similar event from occurring in the future. Now is also the ideal time to strengthen efforts to transition to a cleaner energy future, one that is not dependent on oil and corrupted corporations like BP.

But this can only happen if we all stay with this story, and recognize that the consequences have yet to be truly realized. Please do your part by sharing this information with your friends, family and social circle so we can keep the momentum for change rolling.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This
product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you
are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your
physician before using this product.

Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon
the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based
upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The
information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship
with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice.
It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience
of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health
care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health
care professional.

If you want to use an article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright,
contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used
only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing
from Dr. Mercola is required.